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Polygraphs Wikia
Welcome to the Polygraphs Wikia This Wikia page is intended to help inform people about the accuracy of polygraph tests. Describe your topic Polygraphs are still widely used around the US. There are many different uses for polygraph tests. The accuracy of polygraph tests varies from study to study and from different usage of application. What are Polygraphs? Polygraphs are also referred to as lie detector tests. Ironically, however, they cannot detect lies. A more accurate name would be something like fear detector. Average The average person detects only around 60 percent of lies if they are lucky. Studies have shown that judges, police officers, customs agents, and federal employees are just as good at detecting lies as college students. The Goal of Polygraphs The goal of the test is to establish a psychological set in the examinee that will increase the likelihood that any arousal to specific questions will be because the response is deceptive. What we don't know is what causes the arousal. It could be because fear of being caught in a lie, a conditioned response to lying, increased brain activity due to deception, or some other mechanism. The test measures changes in breathing, blood pressure, pulse rate, and palm perspiration because these are the most common things that scientists believe change when a person lies. Different Applications of Polygraph Testing Users The majority of polygraphs are used by the military and federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms and Explosives, and the OIG. There is also seven other departments that do not conduct their own polygraphs but use the results of tests conducted by outside agencies. Uses Criminal Investigations Polygraphs are used in criminal investigations to interview suspects and witnesses to help identify criminals, verify information, and obtain new leads on cases. Administrative Investigations Polygraphs are used in administrative investigations to help identify and resolve problems in the workplace. Foreign Counter Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Investigations These examinations are used to identify sources that are linked to espionage and terrorism. Pre-Employment Screenings Companies want to make sure that they are hiring honest individuals with clean backgrounds and they use polygraphs to make sure of this. Personnel Security and Counterintelligence Screenings Polygraphs are used in this category to make sure that personnel with high security clearance do not share important information with anyone. Foreign Vetting Polygraphs used in foreign vetting are used to interview foreign personnel who work closely with the US Test Procedure For the majority of the time spent in an examination, most of the time is spent developing questions and reviewing procedures, which is called establishing a "psychological set." Most polygraphs used in a criminal investigation take 3 to 4 hours. Less than 15 minutes is actually spent on obtaining and recording physiological data. The majority of time is spent interviewing the subject before and after the polygraphs are "run." Pretest Phase This stage of the procedure is very crucial to the polygraph examination. The examiner informs the examinee about the specific issue that is being investigated. Then they are read their rights and fill out the nessesary paperwork. They are then given a very detailed description of what a polygraph is and how it works. Then they are interviewed and present "factual" data about the issue they are speaking about. What a polygraph consists of A polygraph consists of two pneumographs, two galvanometers, and a blood pressure cuff. The pneumograph is a convulated tube that fastens around the chest and abdominal area that measures respiratory patters. The galvanometers are electrodes that attached to two fingers and measure electrodermal activity. The blood pressure cuff records blood pressure and heart rate. In-Test Phase This is when the actual interviewing and recording takes place. The procedure consists of a minimum of three separate tests approximately five minutes each with two minutes breaks between each test. Post-Test Phase The examiner explains to the examinee the results of the test and also gives them a chance to explain any reaction that may have occured during the interview. The examiner then reviews the results and writes a report based on their professional opinion. Results of Polygraph Tests NDI- No deception indicated DI- Deception indicated INC- Inconclusive Polygraph Accuracy There have been various studies on polygraph accuracy. These studies range the accuracy anywhere from near chance to 100 percent. A study by a committee of the National Research Council declared that polygraph accuracy is around 81 to 91 percent. However, it ultimately depends the application of the polygraph test. When using polygraphs to detect security threats there was a 10 to 20 percent error rate. They are more likely to be accurate when using single-subject tests than multi-subject tests. Single-subject tests only asks questions that relate to the same topic, therefore, making it more accurate. Supporters of polygraph tests argue that they are reliable because people cannot control all three bodily functions that are being monitored at the same time. People that do not support the reliability of the polygraph argue that many people can conceal stress even when they are lying and that there is no reliable way to tell the difference between the person's stress because of the test or because they are lying. This is why most polygraphs are deemed inadmissible in court. Factors that Affect Polygraph Examination Validity There are multiple factors that can alter the validity of a polygraph test. The person giving the test, the subjects, setting, and countermeasures are just a few that can alter the results of a polygraph test. The examiners experience and schooling can increase accuracy. Several studies have examined the effect of psychopathy on polygraph accuracy. The theory is that psychopaths have different patterns of physiological arousal, which make them less detectable. Other research, however, shows no difference in psychopathic subjects and others have had mixed results depending on the type of mental illness. There is also little research on the effect of intelligence on an individual's results on a polygraph. One can assume that intelligent people could escape detection because they could better anticipate the questions and have better countermeasures, or they could be more detectable because they understand the consequences so they are more vulnerable. People also try to use countermeasures during polygraphs. Countermeasures are techniques used intentionally to avoid deception. They can be anything from simple physical movements to drugs. Not much research has been done to determine their error rates. References "Use of Polygraph Examinations in the Department of Justice." (n.d.): n. pag. U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Evaluation and Inspections Division, 30 Sept. 2006. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. “Lie Detector.” Brewer’s Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable. ''Eds. Adrian Room and Ebenezer Cobham Brewer. London: Cassell, 2009. ''Credo Reference. ''Web. 1 Oct 2015. Credibility Assessment: preliminary process theory, the polygraph process, and construct validity by Palmatier, John J: Rovner, Louis Grubin, Don, MD. "The Polygraph and Forensic Psychiatry." ''The Polygraph and Forensic Psychiatry. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Dec. 2010. Web. 08 Oct. 2015 Verschuere, Bruno, Geert Crombez, Tessie Degrootte, and Yves Rosseel. "Detecting Concealed Information with Reaction Times: Validity and Comparison with the Polygraph." Applied Cognitive Psychology 24.7 (2010): 991-1002. ScienceDirect. Web. 6 Oct. 2015. "People v. Morales: Polygraph Test as Factor Contributing to “Custody” for Miranda Purposes." Appeal and Habeas. N.p., 16 July 2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2015. "Polygraph Procedures." Polygraph Procedures. Galianos Polygraphe Expert Inc., 2006. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. "Lie Detector and Polygraph Tests: Are They Reliable? | Nolo.com." Nolo. N.p., 2015. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. "Lie Detection: The Science and Development of the Polygraph." Illumin. University of Southern California, 2015. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.